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On a seemingly ordinary evening, September 1, 2024, Bainbridge Island residents and ferry passengers were treated to an extraordinary spectacle. Michael Cyger, publisher of BainbridgeIsland.com, captured breathtaking footage of a pod of orcas frolicking in Puget Sound, just off the shores of Bainbridge Island. The video montage of excerpts, which began at 7:09 PM, showcases […]

In late summer to early fall, you can see a red streak in the waters of Bainbridge Island. This is the annual zooplankton bloom of the dinoflagellate algae, often referred to as “red tide.” The bloom is caused by a surplus of nutrients. The population of the dinoflagellate algae can jump to more than 20 […]

According to the 2020 census, Bainbridge Island’s population is now 24,825. Those 24,825 people live in 10,115 households across the island. The Bainbridge Island population is up by 1,800 residents (or 7.8%) over the past 10 years – which averages out to an Bainbridge annual population increase of less than 200 people. Additional census facts: […]

Online research reveals 245 nonprofit organizations in our 98110 zip code, which includes public and private family foundations, service organizations, religious groups and educational institutions. To better understand how many nonprofit organizations are serving the island, a better source is One Call for All, Bainbridge’s nonprofit supporting nonprofits. It lists 125 organizations […]

The short answer: it’s complicated. The longer answer is that you might need a permit and whether you do depends on many factors, such as zoning, lot size, tree conditions, title restrictions (some subdivisions require a minimum number or certain location of trees), and whether the lot is subject to rules regarding […]

It only takes a few moments to cross the Agate Pass Bridge, but maintenance to ensure the safety and longevity of the bridge is an ongoing priority for the Washington State Department of Transportation. Beginning in spring of last year, drivers crossing the bridge were greeted with the sight of white tarps, […]

For thousands of years, the land we know as Bainbridge Island, and the greater South Coast Salish area beyond it, was home to the Suquamish Tribe. One visit to the Suquamish Museum will immerse you in culture and history so deep, you’ll realize how inextricably linked native history is to the earth […]

Pull into the small parking lot at the end of Pleasant Beach Road next to the sign announcing Fort Ward Park and peek through the bushes. You might be able to spot a row of tall pilings rising out of the water covered with sunbathing cormorants. The pilings were built to mark the shoreline […]

By Christy Carley Longtime south-enders have a handful of stories about the lone standing fireplace at the head of Eagle Harbor. The house that once belonged to the fireplace has transcended into Bainbridge folklore as everything from a brothel to a World War II-era candle shop. Most agree that it hosted an antique shop at one […]

A great reference is Kitsap County’s informative website. There, you’ll find a recycling and disposal guide for all kinds of items, hazardous or not, from light bulbs to batteries to EpiPens. Still have questions? The eight-person Kitsap1 team fields residents’ queries about County services. Contact them at [email protected] or 360-337-5777. Many items can […]

“I love my home on Bainbridge Island,” written by David O. Chase, is the song many islanders remember as the island song. In fact, some can still recite the lyrics-which include the endearingly straightforward opening line, “I love my home on Bainbridge Island, in the middle of the good ole Puget Sound”-50 […]

There are 35 buildings on the island’s historical register, 15 of which are private homes of island residents. A 1990 survey, however, identified over 200 eligible properties, according to Rick Chandler, curator at the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum. The City of Bainbridge Island and the Historical Review Commission regularly invite owners […]

Currently two parks provide your friendly pooch a place to freely run and romp, sans leash. The first, Strawberry Hill Dog Park, is located north off High School Road just west of Sands Avenue. It is set in a wooded area with soft dirt and wood chips. Eagledale Dog Park on […]

With five private marinas and a city governed open water marina at its heart, Eagle Harbor is home to an ever evolving liveaboard population. At any given time, approximately 80 to 100 people live on boats in Eagle Harbor. Many are solo occupants but couples and families are also among the vessel […]

Jeff Ozimek, outdoor adventure program manager for the Bainbridge Island parks district, is the man behind the yearly stocking of hundreds of trout in the tranquil Battle Point Park pond. Though the pond is a public fishing spot, it is primarily stocked for the annual Youth Fly Fishing Expo, held this year […]

Has the outside display of soda cases caught your eye when heading into Safeway? These constantly changing works of“pop” art are brought to you by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Washington. Keep your eyes peeled because any seasonal change, holiday or event may lead to a new gigantic display of 18-can cases […]

No matter whether you’re on team live tree or are solidly in the artificial camp, filling the holiday boughs with memorable and meaningful ornaments is one of the best parts of the tradition. BIMA’s gift store and Bainbridge Arts & Crafts both showcase local and regional handmade ornaments each year to suit […]

According to the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, 13 percent of the 17,778-acre island is protected open space. This means it has been purchased by or donated to BILT or is protected by a conservation easement. Jane Stone, BILT executive director, said the land trust takes its cues from the community. “People […]

THE ISLAND’S go-to for rescuing wildlife—whether raccoons, opossums or a nest of orphaned eagles—takes in an average of 1,650 wild animals a year, returning a commendable 75 percent to the wild. Since 1999, the shelter has provided medical care and rehabilitation to wildlife in Kitsap, King, Mason and Snohomish counties. Its four-acre […]

By now you’ve likely noticed the quaint multi-directional signs popping up at intersections around Bainbridge, pointing you in the right direction and evoking the charm of an English country road. They are the handiwork of BHS senior and Eagle Scout Kyle Hammer, along with Troop 1565. Kyle was looking for a […]

It is co-owner, Alison Allen. When Allen was a child her mother often read her poetry at bedtime. Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost were favorites. So when Allen and her husband, Tom, bought the auto shop along the Eagle Harbor shore three years ago, she saw the empty reader board and had […]

While strolling through Pleasant Beach Village in Lynwood Center, you’ve probably noticed the playful cat silhouettes and mice that adorn the ironwork around the buildings and down the stretch of sidewalk. They are the inspiration of John Jacobi—Pleasant Beach Village developer, Windermere founder and self-declared cat enthusiast—who commissioned metal artist Jim […]

When the owners of Bainbridge Cinemas designed the movie complex in the 1990s, they wanted something that would make the theaters unique to Bainbridge Island. According to the project’s architect, William Chester, “The idea was to create different themes that had to do with the history of the island.” Chester consulted […]

About 31 Years Ago, Bainbridge resident Kim Esterberg visited Ometepe island in Nicaragua while traveling with a Seattle Sister Cities delegation. At the time Seattle was a sister city with capital Managua and Esterberg thought to develop a corollary sister island relationship. What resulted is an alliance between two islands similar […]

It’s not hard to find a hill on the rock. Still, many an islander has wondered which peak gets the prize for its uppermost elevation. If you suggest that Paper & Leaf is the highest, you win the award for humor, but you’d be wrong. If you guessed the 400-feet–above-sea-level Gazzam Lake […]

Sometimes, even when you’re done donning, it can still be hard to give up a once-loved garment. Thankfully, there’s an easy way to bid adieu to your gently used clothing while also helping a worthwhile cause. Bainbridge Bargain Boutique is a thrift store which donates all of its net proceeds from sales […]

It’s George. Oft seen shredding and grinding at Strawberry Hill Park’s skateboard park, George is obsessed with skateboarding, said his owner, Nadine Singel. “I ask my husband to take George to the park now, because I can’t get myself, him or the skateboard out of the park,” she said. “George won’t […]

Oh my! With a bear prowling around Bainbridge this past June and the occasional reported cougar sighting, it’s hard to know if it’s safe to walk in the woods. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Sergeant Ken Balazs set our minds at ease with the facts. “Bear sightings are rare,” […]

Well, its turns out we can’t tell you that because the aircraft carrier’s deployment schedule is considered classified and not disclosed until it’s just 36 to 72 hours out. We can tell you that the aircraft carrier Nimitz is big. Really, really big. It’s 1,092 feet long, 252 feet wide and over […]

Although islander Ethan Currier has been working with rocks for 15 years, his best-known statue, “Counter Balance,” stands tall, in a striking tree yoga pose, at the corner of Day and Miller roads. Currier chose the iconic yoga pose for its naturally stable shape and also because it creates an illusion of […]

Although several artists have contributed color to the water tower at the Deerpath trailhead, we tracked down one whose work has stood the test of time. In 2010, Kato D. was visiting her sister, who lives near the 445-acre Gazzam Lake Park. While walking her dog, she noticed some offensive graffiti tagged […]

Indeed! In fact, 11 species of sharks swim the chilly Salish waters. Spotting a shagreen dorsal fin from shore, ferry or kayak isn’t likely, however. Most of these Puget Sound predators are classified as bottom feeders, living in the murky depths where their favorite food, fish, is in abundance. The spiny dogfish […]

Visit the Parade Grounds at Fort Ward and you’re not likely to see a marching band, clowns performing in costume or even uniformed military. The park’s name instead refers to the location where troops—during Fort Ward’s operation as a military base—assembled for drilling formation in preparation for battle. Now a grassy neighborhood commons, the park […]

Whether Spiders give you a thrill or send you running, Bainbridge in early autumn is the perfect place to spot arachnids and their architectural wonder works. Although you might prefer spiders and their silken threads to appear only in haunted Halloween tales, the Pacific Northwest is home to a variety of gangewifre […]

One glance at Seattle’s skyline and it’s clear: building is part of human nature. And sometimes, it takes on the simplest of forms. Like a pile of rocks, otherwise known as a cairn. Though cairns can be found at Manzanita Park, Ted Olson Nature Preserve, and along the Forest to Sky Trail, […]

Astronomical voyeurs have already been cosmically treated to a mini-moon and the Lyrid meteor shower this year, but NASA’s Juno spacecraft as well as 11 additional meteor showers and planets like Mercury, Saturn and Uranus are a few of the other celestial sights the night sky has yet in store. For those […]

The oldest residents that we could track down are Eleanor Dienes, above, and Jane Furlong, both of whom turn 103 this year. While most of us weren’t even in diapers during World War II, Dienes was already the mother of four young children. Her daughter, Katrina, would grow up to be an […]

The town we now know as Winslow was first named Madrone by settlers in the 1800s. By the end of that century, a group of brothers had made a pretty big splash in the area. They were the Hall brothers—Isaac, Winslow and Henry—and their claim to fame was the prolific number of […]

It is comforting to sail into the harbor at night and see the boats at the maintenance facility lit up like nautical Christmas trees. Take a closer look and you might spot merry red vending machines offering beverages and snacks, and flashing monitors broadcasting advertisements—all on vessels without a single passenger on […]

It’s probably Safe to say that Capt. Johnston Blakeley (or Blakely) never set foot on Bainbridge Island, yet his name is all over the place. Born in Ireland in 1781, young Blakeley immigrated to America with his parents. Later, he is alleged to have taken part in a student uprising while attending […]

One Problem with ghosts is you can’t call them up and ask where they’re located. They’re not on Facebook or Yelp or any of the other modern-day resources we use. But if you poke around Bainbridge, it won’t take much to get spooked at a couple of island spots. Fort Ward and […]

The Year 1973 was destined to be a children’s classic. Schoolhouse Rock debuted on television, Charlotte’s Web made it to the big screen and Leslie Mirkovich, née Albert, began teaching second grade at Captain Johnston Blakely Elementary School. Forty-two years later, Mirkovich is still at it, teaching the same grade at the […]

We thought the answer would be wrangling the magical elves who were seemingly reinventing the store every night for months. But when we asked T&C’s marketing rep, Susan Allen, she made no mention of the elves. “Simply wanting it to be a good experience for our community—taking care of their everyday needs […]

Zack and Eli’s Dahlias, located where Wyatt Way turns into Eagle Harbor Drive, is hard to miss. Its eponymous founders were young boys when they established this self-service seasonal flower stand, which can be accessed by parking on a gravel turnout and crossing a small footbridge over a tiny ravine. Back in […]

If You’ve Taken a scenic drive along Crystal Springs, just north of the Point White Pier, you’ve seen—and possibly photographed—two old wooden boats resting on the shore. They represent a tale of two brothers: James and George Munro, sons of a Scottish immigrant, who were raised on Crystal Springs in the early […]

We Are Used To abundance here—we get plenty of rain, copious amounts of produce from local gardens, and an ample daily dose of beauty from our natural surroundings. But what does it mean to have an abundance of cemeteries? Bainbridge boasts five of them. Should we be worried? Not if we consider […]

When we think of yurts, those round conical structures with brown vinyl covers, we usually think of studio spaces, detached home offices or very small residences. We don’t often think of 98-degree, above-ground saltwater swimming pools. But that is exactly what is inside the yurt at 164 Knechtel Way. In 2002, Dr. […]

An Exquisite stone labyrinth graces Hall’s Hill Lookout Park, a privately owned public park that overlooks Blakely Harbor. In June, Jeffery Bale, a stone artist from Portland, Oregon, completed the 11-circuit labyrinth, inspired by the famous Chartres Cathedral labyrinth in France. Bale also created the stone cistern on the grounds of IslandWood. […]

The above verse is just one of several “poetry panels” that the City of Bainbridge Island first installed into the sidewalk along High School Road between Madison and Ferncliff more than 20 years ago. According to the Bainbridge Island Arts & Humanities Council, the city allocated funding for the five sidewalk panels […]

Although no one currently lives in it, the authentic red caboose located at 5008 Rockaway Beach Road has been inhabited from time to time. According to current property owners Nancy Scharf and husband Doug Hansmann, the caboose—situated in front of their waterfront home— was brought to this location by the previous owners who purchased the […]